Tommy Thompson
Olympic recognition, sports council recognition with behaviour like this. Again what message are we sending out as a sport, some may try and justify this, in my humble opinion this is not sportsmanship, do you think they would allow this in snooker, no they wouldn't and what action may they take if anything a couple of grand fine out of £110,000 meaningless, perhaps withhold all the prize money, that might send the right message out, but will they do that, not a chance.
Sorry the ends don't justify the means for me, perhaps that is why I never joined the PDC all those years ago. Anyway each to there own, but it won't be long before violence kicks off in front of the cameras, perhaps we should start the matches off like they do in boxing with a staged confrontation at the weighin, seriously is this where we want to be.

Jocky got me during a World Cup game. He was playing for Scotland and i was representing England in the final of the singles up in Edinburgh. We were both standing at the back of the stage waiting to go on, the TV cameras were running and everything was set. Then the announcer said " Representing England we have Eric Bristow ".
Just as i was about to bounce on stage and give the booing crowd some jib Jocky took a run at me and kicked me as hard as he could in the shin. He took about two inches of skin off as his shoe scraped up my leg.
Christ it hurt, so i grabbed him by the throat and i was going to kill him, but five officials managed to prise me off, and shoved me on-stage into the bedlam of lights, television cameras and baying crowd - they were Scots, what do you expect ?
I could feel the blood dribbling down my leg as i stood on stage, and all i could think was that I'd have to shake this tosser's hand in a minute. As Jocky came up he looked at me with beady, squinting eyes, fearful that i might go for him again, but we shook hands and i proceeded to thrash him.
I had to after what he did to me. I was fuming all the way through the game. When it was all over he put his arm around me, pulled me close to him, and with a smile on his face said, " I've got to try to beat you somehow ". I couldn't do anything but laugh.
One minute i wanted to tear him apart, the next we were at the bar having a drink. It was a good job i had red trousers on and not white because my leg was bleeding badly.

ChrisW wrote:Jocky got me during a World Cup game. He was playing for Scotland and i was representing England in the final of the singles up in Edinburgh. We were both standing at the back of the stage waiting to go on, the TV cameras were running and everything was set. Then the announcer said " Representing England we have Eric Bristow ".
Just as i was about to bounce on stage and give the booing crowd some jib Jocky took a run at me and kicked me as hard as he could in the shin. He took about two inches of skin off as his shoe scraped up my leg.
Christ it hurt, so i grabbed him by the throat and i was going to kill him, but five officials managed to prise me off, and shoved me on-stage into the bedlam of lights, television cameras and baying crowd - they were Scots, what do you expect ?
I could feel the blood dribbling down my leg as i stood on stage, and all i could think was that I'd have to shake this tosser's hand in a minute. As Jocky came up he looked at me with beady, squinting eyes, fearful that i might go for him again, but we shook hands and i proceeded to thrash him.
I had to after what he did to me. I was fuming all the way through the game. When it was all over he put his arm around me, pulled me close to him, and with a smile on his face said, " I've got to try to beat you somehow ". I couldn't do anything but laugh.
One minute i wanted to tear him apart, the next we were at the bar having a drink. It was a good job i had red trousers on and not white because my leg was bleeding badly.

Taken from The Crafty Cockney Autobiography

The Oche incident was off stage and a single action, not after every single throw.

Would Price have won that final without the theatrics? Hard to know? I suspect not personally. How can a governing body measure what is an acceptable amount of celebrating/time taken on throw etc? MVG seemed to take it to new level and now Price is just doing it so much its irritating as a viewer never mind his opponent.He and Cadby need a quiet word and told to rein it in a bit.But again how do you measure what is punishable? Also agree a bit of celebrating of an important score or finish does add to the game but that last night was cheating imo and as a player you know if someone is at it. For me Anderson did well not to chin the muppet

darts is a sport where gamesmanship goes on, has always gone on & will continue to do so, the more money involved, people become more & more unscrupulous & snide (last night was priceys big chance he took it by whatever means he could get away with) as bobby george said play the board not the player if your up against someone who plays different to you style rhythm wise,

nikkiboy wrote:I don't see it as crying, he is absolutely right. If this behaviour is allowed to continue it will destry the game long term.

but this is what sky/ comcast /pdc want needle, dave clarke loves over egging the pudding, (unless its real needle like klassen & mvg then its stum time)

Then they want to be careful what they wish for, if this is allowed to continue then we will get to a stage where TV will pull the coverage because it will become no longer about the darts but who is better at putting the other guy off.

nikkiboy wrote:I don't see it as crying, he is absolutely right. If this behaviour is allowed to continue it will destry the game long term.

but this is what sky/ comcast /pdc want needle, dave clarke loves over egging the pudding, (unless its real needle like klassen & mvg then its stum time)

Then they want to be careful what they wish for, if this is allowed to continue then we will get to a stage where TV will pull the coverage because it will become no longer about the darts but who is better at putting the other guy off.

i agree with that bit & you know what they say about role models for kids to follow & the like (look at the soccer disaster now being played out where refs being hounded at school age games) point still stands that sky & here the pdc love needle to over sell a match / event anything, you are right thou this could backfire if not nipped in the bud,

nikkiboy wrote:I don't see it as crying, he is absolutely right. If this behaviour is allowed to continue it will destry the game long term.

but this is what sky/ comcast /pdc want needle, dave clarke loves over egging the pudding, (unless its real needle like klassen & mvg then its stum time)

Then they want to be careful what they wish for, if this is allowed to continue then we will get to a stage where TV will pull the coverage because it will become no longer about the darts but who is better at putting the other guy off.

i agree with that bit & you know what they say about role models for kids to follow & the like (look at the soccer disaster now being played out where refs being hounded at school age games) point still stands that sky & here the pdc love needle to over sell a match / event anything, you are right thou this could backfire if not nipped in the bud,

I have no issue with Price doing it when he hits the double, none at all as the leg is over. We said when MVG started this that it'll lead to other players doing the same, it has and price and cadby are the result, they take it further than MVG and watching now will be some players who will take it further than Price. The issue is that because the PDC have allowed the celebrations after every throw and crucially imo allowed Price to take a step toward Anderson and fist pump and scream in his face they have no power to stop this happening in every single game.
Aggressive behaviour on the oche used to be frowned on by the PDC and fined by the DRA, no more it seems.

What will they do on the next challenge or pro tour event when a player starts aggressively sizing up to his opponent and screaming in the leisure centre after every throw? The answer is nothing as they have allowed it in a showcase event and will now be powerless to stop it spreading into all facets of the game.

A question we should ask is this, what would the reaction of the people who defend this behaviour be in the world championships if he does the same aggressive screaming and walking toward his opponent who happens to be Ana or Lisa? If it is OK then it's OK regardless of the opponent and do the PDC really want their TV audiences see an aggressive male size up to a female and fist pump and scream in her face after every throw?